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National Arts Centre's Quebec Scene celebrates province's renowned and rising stars
2/20/2007
Festival features 700 artists and more than 100 events, including world premieres, Quebec Scene co-productions and specially commissioned visual arts exhibition
OTTAWA -- The National Arts Centre today revealed the line-up for Quebec Scene, a festival featuring 700 of Quebec's most talented and exciting artists in what promises to be the largest-ever gathering of Quebec artists outside the province.
From April 20 to May 5, audiences will have the unique opportunity to experience the best of the Quebec arts scene and be captivated by the province's artists in more than 40 venues in Ottawa-Gatineau. Music, theatre, dance, visual and media arts, film, circus, storytelling and literature, humour, street and culinary arts-Quebec Scene will have it all.
Part of a series of festivals exploring Canada's cultural panorama, Quebec Scene will celebrate a dynamic culture-a culture that combines the old and the new, traditions and new technologies, the established and the emerging.
The line-up includes, among many others:
Dance companies and artists La La La Human Steps, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Hinda Essadiqi and Dave St-Pierre;
Theatre productions and artists Lèvres by Pierre Lebeau, 4D art's production of Norman, Les Entrailles by Claude Gauvreau, King Dave by Alexandre Goyette, The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios by Infinitheatre and Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched ;
Musical groups and artists Ariane Moffatt, Richard Desjardins, Oliver Jones, Lorraine Desmarais, Les Breastfeeders, Torngat, Vulgaires Machins, The Stills, Patrick Watson, Boogat, Daniel Thouin, Karkwa, the Montreal Jubilation Choir & the Jubilation Big Band, Starmania Symphonique, Kent Nagano and the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Yoav Talmi and the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and Louis Lortie;
Literary and storytelling artists Yann Martel, Neil Bissoondath and Jean Barbe, and Michel Faubert;
Visual and Media artists Jean-Pierre Aubé, Pascal Grandmaison, Michel de Broin, BGL, Suzanne Bergeron, Nelson Hendricks, Alanis Obomsawin, Mattiusi Iyaituk;
Filmmakers Norman McLaren, Anthony Sherwood and Torill Kove;
Circus, humour and culinary artists featuring The 7 Fingers (les 7 doigts de la main), Juste Pour Rire, Norman Laprise and Daniel Vézina.
“Quebec Scene will be a huge event for the National Arts Centre,” said NAC President and CEO Peter Herrndorf. “We are incredibly proud to be showcasing 700 Quebec artists during the festival, and I have no doubt that audiences will be dazzled by the imagination, creativity and talent coming out of Quebec.”
“The arts scene in Quebec is incredibly vibrant and filled with passion,” said Heather Moore, Producer and Executive Director of the Quebec Scene. “All of these artists are known and loved in Quebec, but that's not necessarily the case in the rest of Canada. To be able to showcase these artists to new audiences is an enormous privilege and a reason for all of us to celebrate.”
Quebec Scene is the third in a series of national festivals produced by the NAC. Quebec Scene was preceded by Atlantic Scene in 2003 and Alberta Scene in 2005, both of which exposed artists to new audiences, drew unprecedented media coverage and together resulted in more than 230 future bookings for Scene artists.
With more than 90 invited international and national agents and presenters attending, Quebec Scene will give its artists the opportunity to cast their spell on the rest of the world through future engagements.
PREMIERES
Quebec Scene will feature an exciting mix of new works by some of Quebec's most sought-after creators, with the following being co-produced by Quebec Scene: A little tenderness for crying out loud! by choreographer Dave St-Pierre, Norman, a live fusion of theatre and film based on Quebec filmmaker Norman McLaren produced by 4D art, Les Entrailles by Claude Gauvreau, directed by Joël Beddows and produced by Théâtre La Catapulte, and the nomadic theatre experience of Welcome to… (a city where you are a tourist) by Olivier Choinière, presented in association with Théâtre de la Vieille 17.
Other Quebec Scene premieres include the opening night and performance of the latest creation by La La La Human Steps, Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad (the premiere of the English version of the play Incendies), and Lèvres by Pierre Lebeau, in collaboration with Benoît Charest.
Quebec Scene has also commissioned Making Real, a major visual and media arts exhibition that explores the artist's relationship to reality. Curated by Montreal's Marie Fraser and presented in collaboration with the National Capital Commission, Making Real features site-specific works specially created or adapted for a brand new space in a former bank at 106 Sparks Street. Among the 13 artists featured in the exhibit are Jean-Pierre Aubé, Pascal Grandmaison, Nadia Myre, Raphaëlle de Groot and Ève K. Tremblay.
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
The National Arts Centre Foundation gratefully acknowledges support by Program Sponsors Enbridge and Gaz Metro, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Casino du Lac-Leamy, Bombardier and Alcan.
Supporting sponsors are Canril Corporation, Galaxie:The CBC's Continuous Music Network, the National Capital Commission and the Lord Elgin Hotel.
Media partners include Official Broadcaster CBC/Radio-Canada, Gesca Limitée, notably through La Presse, Le Soleil and Le Droit, the National Post and the Ottawa Citizen.
Government partners are the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec through the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts.
The NAC Foundation also extends a warm thank you to the National Arts Centre Friends-Quebec, a committed group of individuals and corporations who understand the need to support arts and culture and especially Quebec artists, and particular thanks to Honorary Presidents Yves and Carol Fortier.
Quebec Scene would not be possible without the collaboration of close to 100 Ottawa, Gatineau and Quebec producers and presenters. Their enthusiasm and creativity is an essential element to Quebec Scene's success and the NAC is honoured to count them as partners:
Association des auteurs et auteures de l'Outaouais; Association Outaouaise des Professionnels des Métiers de Bouche; Available Light; Avatar; Canada Council Art Bank; Canadian Film Institute; Canadian Guild of Crafts; Centre d'exposition Art-image; Destination World Travel; KINO'00; Le Petit Chicago; Les contes du Mardi, Gatineau; Les Soirées de Musique Fraîche; Maison Charron; Moment Factory; NAC– Danse; NAC – Music; NAC – Fourth Stage; NAC – English Theatre; NAC – French Theatre; National Capital Commission; National Film Board of Canada; NAC Orchestra; Ottawa Folk Festival; Ottawa International Animation Festival; Ottawa International Writers Festival; Ottawa Jazz Festival; Productions Littorale; PunkOttawa.com; Strataide; Théâtre de la Vieille 17; Vidéographe; Beckta Dining and Wine; Bistro l'Espresso; Ei8hteen; Elgin Café; Empire Grill; L'Aubergine; Le Baccara; Le Café; Le Cordon Bleu; Le Sans-Pareil; Le St-Estèphe; Les Fougères; L'Orée du Bois; Luxe Bistro; Metropolitain Brasserie; Par-fyum; Social Restaurant; Stella Osteria; The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro; Buba Vidéo; Club International Vidéo Film Riel; Elgin Street Video Station; Glebe Video International; The Invisible Cinema; Videoflicks; Video Mondo; Video Shack; West Coast Video.
The performance venues include Arts Court; AXENÉO7; Babylon; Barrymore's Music Hall; Canadian Museum of Civilization; Capital Music Hall; blacksheep; Centrepointe Theatre; City Hall Art Gallery (Ottawa); Club SAW; DAÏMÕN; Dominion-Chalmers United Church; Galerie Montcalm; Gallery 101; Great Canadian Theatre Company; Karsh-Masson Gallery; La Nouvelle Scène; Library and Archives Canada; Maison de la culture de Gatineau; National Gallery of Canada; Rideau Hall; Robert-Guertin Arena; Salle Jean-Despréz; Salle La Basoche; SAW Gallery; SAW Video; The Ottawa Art Gallery; The Rainbow and the University of Ottawa, Academic Hall.
QUEBEC SCENE PRESENTERS' PROGRAM
The presenters' program is one of the most important aspects to the artists of Quebec Scene. The Presenters' Program helps emerging and established artists further their careers by inviting domestic and international arts presenters to attend Quebec Scene and seek out new talent and touring productions for audiences beyond the 16-day festival. Thanks to the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, 90 domestic and international arts presenters will attend Quebec Scene. So far, representatives from Canada, Europe, Asia, South America, New Zealand have all confirmed their attendance.
Tickets for all Quebec Scene events are on sale now. For detailed information on how to purchase tickets on-line, by phone or in-person, as well as for more detailed information on all the Quebec Scene shows and events, please consult the event website at www.quebecscene.ca.
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For more information:
Chantal Dufresne
Communications Officer
Quebec Scene
Tel. (514) 844-9554
Cell: (514) 918-8271
commdufresne@videotron.ca
Jayne Watson
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
National Arts Centre
Tel. (613) 947-7000 x 260
Cell: (613) 791-5697
jwatson@nac-cna.ca